On paper, there doesn't appear to be much apparent reason for the Everett Silvertips to be dead last in the Western Hockey League.

Blue-chip defenceman Ryan Murray played for Canada at the world junior championships and is the third-ranked North American skater for the 2012 NHL draft. Goalie Kent Simpson was taken in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks and forward Josh Birkholz in the third round in 2009 by the Florida Panthers. Import defenceman Dominik Bittner from Germany has already played pro with the Heilbronn Falcons.

So perhaps it shouldn't have been all that surprising that Everett (13-31-9) skated to a 3-2 victory over the Victoria Royals (17-32-6) before an announced crowd Tuesday of 4,753 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

"They are a good team, and we knew that coming in," said Victoria head coach Marc Habscheid.

"Murray is one of the best [junior] defencemen, and Simpson [who had 29 saves] played well."

Victoria defenceman Tyler Stahl returned to action for the first time since being concussed in just the fourth game of the season. The 2010 sixth-round Carolina Hurricanes draft pick unloaded two body-shivering checks in the first period. But it was Stahl's third, and final, check of the night at 4:11 of the second period that proved controversial.

Everett forward Jordyn Boyd turned to the boards and put himself in a vulnerable position at just the moment Stahl barrelled into him. The Royals rearguard, in a borderline call, was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for charging. It was definitely a minor penalty, but the major and game penalties seemed excessive.

Victoria killed off Stahl's major penalty. But Everett would be heard from later in the second period when Bittner made it 2-0 at 18:33 to add to the first goal scored by Cody Fowlie in the first period.

The Minnesota Meteor, forward Ben Walker from Edina, continued his recent fine play as the Royals forward scored at 5:24 of the third period. But Ryan Harrison converted a two-on-one break to restore Everett's two-goal cushion at 11:41. Brandon Magee scored for Victoria with 47 seconds remaining on a two-man advantage with a Silvertip in the penalty box and goalie Keith Hamilton pulled, but it wasn't enough.

Tim Traber of the Royals and the Silvertips' Island-product Lucas Grayson of Port Hardy engaged in a heavyweight second-period fight. It was a split decision for Grayson, who hails from the corner of the Island that also produced NHLers Willie Mitchell, Clayton Stoner and Brett Connolly.

Assistant captain Josh Caron, a defenceman who had an assist on the night, is from Campbell River and the other Islander on the Silvertips.

The teams close out their two-game set tonight at 7 in the Memorial Centre.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com